Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR)

The Ely District fire management program conducts emergency stabilization and rehabilitation (ESR) on public lands adversely affected by wildfire and fire suppression, in order to prevent soil erosion and ensure habitat restoration.

ESR work improves public lands that are unlikely to recover naturally from the effects of wildfires. This work, often implemented over the course of several years following a wildfire, includes invasive plant treatments, replanting and reseeding with native or other desirable vegetation, road and trail rehabilitation, fence replacement, wildlife habitat restoration and reforestation. ESR supports the goals set forth by the National Fire Plan.

Emergency stabilization consists of planned actions performed by burned area emergency response (BAER) teams within one year of wildfire containment to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources, to minimize threats to life or property resulting from the effects of a fire, or to repair/replace/construct physical improvements necessary to prevent degradation of land or resources.

Rehabilitation consists of efforts undertaken within three years of wildfire containment to repair or improve fire-damaged lands unlikely to recover naturally to management approved conditions, or to repair or replace minor facilities damaged by fire. The process concludes with long-term restoration. Restoration can include replacement of major infrastructure such as visitor centers, residences, administration offices and work centers burned in a wildland fire, and watershed restoration. Restoration is funded using appropriated or supplemental funding other than the wildland fire appropriation.

The need for ESR can be minimized or prevented by regular and ongoing reduction of hazardous fuels through prescribed burning, wildland fire use, and other methods, which reduce the risk, occurrence, and intensity of subsequent wildfires.

The Ely Regional Seed Warehouse, located just outside Ely, Nev., is the latest addition to the Bureau of Land Management’s national seed warehouse system.

The $4.1 million warehouse was paid for with funding from Round 9 of the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act.

The 16,717 square-foot building contains seed mixing facilities, storerooms and offices, and is capable of storing up to one million pounds of seed; 900,000 pounds in the general warehouse and 100,000 pounds in cold storage, to aid in rehabilitation and restoration efforts within the Great Basin and Mojave Desert ecosystems across a six state area.